The Stories We Wear – Production
Final Year ProjectPrep for Production
As I was shooting independently, I managed my equipment and DIT. Before each shoot, I backed up my footage, formatted my SD cards, fully charged all my batteries, and prepped shot lists. I was so preoccupied with directing and shooting that I didn’t take many BTS photos.
I also created comprehensive shot lists to guide the shoots. This helped me avoid getting overwhelmed or forgetting key footage on stressful shoot days. I also began categorising the type of shots I was getting, and kept note of previous shot lists, so I knew what footage I had more and less of.
Shoot Days – Costume Fittings, Mending, and Aerial Silks
Biz and I worked closely on this project. With her artistic flair, Biz would artfully arrange miniature set-ups of her workspace and darning, mending, and sewing materials. Working with another creative from a different specialism has been thoroughly fulfilling and rewarding, and Biz is such a caring, thoughtful, and talented designer. I could not have achieved what I did without Biz.
As we were shooting some of Biz’s mending projects, she suggested I contact the aerial silk dancers based at Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Leith. I had previously shot footage of a Chinese fan dancer in Beijing, and the emphasis on movement and fabrics fit the narrative and visuals perfectly.
I had a wonderful experience observing the youth class of aerial silk dancers and was truly blown away by their artistry, strength, and talent on the aerial silks. Sharisse, the dance class teacher, instructed the dancers to prioritise movement with the silks and to be imaginative and inventive with how they contorted their bodies. I am so glad I contacted All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre and hope to work with them again for costumed performances.
Poem – The Stories We Wear
I met Hermione Byron at The Film Cult’s monthly community arts event, Projections. Hermione read several of her poems, and I loved how accessible and vivid the imagery was, so I approached her to discuss working together on my documentary project. I commissioned Hermione, gave her a brief summary of the motifs, themes, and overall message of the documentary, and regularly touched base with her. She would send me inspirations for the poem, potential ideas, and work according to the schedule we decided.
I cannot thank Hermione enough for the beautiful, emotive piece she wrote as it became the foundation and structure of the documentary (and also the title!)
Next Steps
Once I had completed several shoots at 5th Season Vintage, overseeing costume fittings, Biz’s mending projects, and the aerial silk classes, I realised I was missing crucial footage for the storytelling. I went to Glasgow at the last minute to shoot some additional footage, and it ended up being some of my best shots and was vital for the structure of the edit.
The next steps was to download DaVinci Resolve, do all the necessary DIT, select potential music tracks, and record the poem in the voiceover booth at Screen Academy.